Background:

Recent changes to the Australian welfare system have resulted in an increase in the number of people who face food shortages. In 2013, it was estimated that that two million Australians were in need of food aid, increasing by nine percent since 2012. A 2012 survey found that four percent of Australians access emergency food supplies, while eight percent often or sometimes ran out of food and were unable to afford more.

In Australia, conservative estimates suggest that around five percent of the general population experience some form of ‘food insecurity’ within a 12 month period. For most of these individuals, food insecurity has arisen through the interaction of factors including homelessness, unemployment, poor mental health, illness, limited access to transport, and limited nutritional knowledge.

This increasing need for food has resulted in increasing demand. The 2012-2013 financial year, saw most food agencies registering an increasing demand for food aid, including food pantries and banks, food the provision of food hampers and vouchers, and soup kitchens. 

Methods:

The aim of this project was to explore the various providers of food aid within metropolitan Melbourne to gain an understanding the distribution and variety of food aid providers. Data were collected through a detailed review. 

Results/Discussions:

 There are around 400 providers of food aid in metropolitan Melbourne. Services include food pantries, food banks, food vouchers, soup kitchens and breakfast clubs. The findings of this study indicate that the largest number of food providers are in the inner city locations Melbourne, as well as the outer suburbs that have higher relative disadvantage.

Conclusions/implications:

Providers of food aid play a critical role in providing access to healthy, fresh and nutritious foods for those on low incomes, and increasingly those with no income. It is imperative to explore the location, range and ability of these services to meet their increasing demands.